


I'll Be Home for Christmas

by iam93percentstardust



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:13:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28290705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iam93percentstardust/pseuds/iam93percentstardust
Summary: Tony waits.It’s silly to still be up this late. He knows Steve isn’t coming home in time for Christmas, even though he’d said—he’d promised—that his unit was giving him leave for the holiday. But Steve’s unit isn’t quite like any other and when Tony had hacked into the military’s satellite earlier today after Steve had failed to return home yesterday, he’d discovered that his boyfriend’s unit had been sent out on an urgent mission, all leave requests put on hold. He’d known then that Steve wouldn’t be home in time for the holiday.But still, he waits.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 17
Kudos: 281





	I'll Be Home for Christmas

Tony waits.

It’s silly to still be up this late. He knows Steve isn’t coming home in time for Christmas, even though he’d said—he’d _promised_ —that his unit was giving him leave for the holiday. But Steve’s unit isn’t quite like any other and when Tony had hacked into the military’s satellite earlier today after Steve had failed to return home yesterday, he’d discovered that his boyfriend’s unit had been sent out on an urgent mission, all leave requests put on hold. He’d known then that Steve wouldn’t be home in time for the holiday.

But still, he waits.

It’s just that…Steve has never broken a promise before, not a single one, not even the ones that no one could possibly expect him to keep. It’s a point of pride with him.

And Steve had promised that he would be home for Christmas.

So Tony sits up, and he waits.

And as the clock ticks closer to midnight, to Christmas Day, he loses a little more hope. He knows it’s always been a longshot, Steve getting enough leave for the holiday, and he knows that Steve’s unit is important, that they’re doing good work wherever it is they are (France, breaking up a trafficking ring, but Steve doesn’t like it when Tony breaks into government records so he always feigns ignorance), but he’d still been hopeful anyway.

He takes one last look at the clock on the TV—two minutes to midnight—and sighs. “Alright, J, I think it’s time to admit defeat,” he says and stands, gathering up the blankets and popcorn bucket he’d grabbed in anticipation of spending all night waiting for Steve.

“If I may, sir,” JARVIS starts to say but Tony waves him silent. The AI goes quiet, waiting as he sighs again.

“It’s fine. It was a longshot anyway. We both knew that,” he says, attempting to convince himself of that fact and failing miserably. “I’m just gonna…I’ll call Rhodey in the morning, see if he’s willing to house someone else for the holiday. The jet could probably make it there by the end of the day, right?”

“As you say, sir.”

Tony appreciates the lie. He and JARVIS both know there’s no way Tony would even bother asking his employees to give up their holiday just so that he can feel a little less lonely. Not even Tony Stark could be so cruel as that (somewhere in the back of his mind, he can just _hear_ Steve berating him for even thinking bad thoughts about the love of his life but Steve isn’t here and Tony knows that he’d taken way too long to get his life together; he doesn’t get to call himself a decent person).

He shoves the blanket into its basket under the coffee table and turns the TV off. It’s late and he’s tired and things won’t look any better in the morning so what’s the point in waiting up?

But then—

 _But then_ —

He hears the elevator ding softly from a few floors down and turns, heart leaping into his throat. No. _No._ It can’t be. He checked this _morning_ , Steve isn’t anywhere _near_ the states. It has to be someone else, the housekeeper or Pepper or—or…And yet…

“J man?” he asks hoarsely.

“Sir?”

“Is it—”

But before he can finish the sentence, the elevator dings again. He stops short, breath catching as the elevator doors open and Steve, still wearing his uniform and his duffel bag in his hand, steps off.

“Steve?” Tony whispers.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Steve says, dropping the duffel bag on the floor.

“Are you really here?”

“I promised, didn’t I?”

Tony doesn’t even know who moves first, just that he’s suddenly in Steve’s arms, and Steve is _holding_ him just like he’s been dreaming of for months. And it’s perfect, it really, really is. It’s a perfect Christmas and for this one, beautiful moment, everything is right in the world.


End file.
